Projectile



Patented June 28, 1938 uNiree srargs PATENT FFEQE 4 Claims.

My invention relates to firearms and projectiles therefor, and to the cartridges incorporating such projectiles. Among the objects of my invention are to increase the muzzle velocity, range, and accuracy of the projectile; to increase the hitting power of the projectile; to increase the size of the charge behind the projectile without unduly increasing the length of the cartridge; to provide a projectile incorporating an armor-piercing slug, so formed and so related to the projectile as a whole as to facilitate the piercing of armor; to provide a firearm enabling the employment of such an improved projectile and cartridge; to provide an armor-piercing slug which will have its rotational effect, and thereby its piercing effect, facilitated by impact of the projectile as a whole, rather than diminished thereby; and to provide a projectile which, when discharged from the muzzle of the firearm, will be of streamline shape.

Other objects will be ascertained as this specification progresses.

My invention comprises the novel projectile, the novel cartridge, and the novel firearm, and the combination of these three, all as shown in the accompanying drawings, described in this specification, and as will be more particularly pointed out by the claims which terminate the same.

In the accompanying drawing, I have shown my invention incorporated in illustrative forms, it being understood that the same principles may be incorporated in various other forms, particularly in other weapons, and in cartridges for such weapons.

Figure l is a general elevation of an automatic pistol, the barrel and part of the slide and the cartridge being shown in section.

Figure 2 is an axial section through the complete cartridge, and Figure 3 is a similar section of the projectile after discharge from the firearm.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary section similar to Figure 2, showing a modified form of projectile.

The projectile comprises in general a body I of soft metal, for instance lead or a lead alloy, in which is preferably incorporated a slug 2 of hard metal, for instance steel. As may be seen in Figure 3, the projectile when discharged has a general streamline shape, with a rounded or somewhat pointed nose I0 and a tapered or pointed tail II. Prior to discharge, however, it has a circumferential groove or similar recess I2 between its nose and tail, preferably starting adjacent the base of the nose, and at the forward end of this groove I2 are formed outstanding portions, preferably a circumferential flange I3. This may be formed from the same metal as the body I, and in any event should be of soft metal,

so that it will compress, and in compressing it will be pressed into or flow into the groove I 2, and the volume of the flange I3 is calculated to be just suicient to properly fill the groove I2.

The body I, with its flange I3, is received in the open endv of a shell 3 having a charge 30 therein and the usual cap 3l. The flange I3 thus closes the open end of the shell, and upon firing of the charge its force is imparted to the inner or rear side of the flange I3, as well as to the surfaces of the tail II.

The firearm in which such a cartridge is employed includes the barrel 9 having the rifled bore 90, the approach bore QI, which need not b-e ried, and the chamber 93. The remainder of the firearm may be of any suitable design and construction, as this forms no part of my invention, and in the drawing I have not shown the complete mechanism of the firearm, since that is immaterial. Such a barrel may form part of a rifle or other firearm, the pistol being selected only as typical. The chamber 33 is of a size to receive the shell 3, and the nose I0 of the projectile is of a size to fit the rifled bore 9U. As the projectile passes along the tapered approach bore 9| the wing I3 is compressed and constricted, until the projectile as a whole, when it enters the rif-led bore 90, has been reduced in diameter to the size of this bore 90. The constriction of the flange I3 in passing along the approach bore 9i effects a tight seal to prevent loss of the gases, and because of this reason, and because of the larger charge behind the projectile, its muzzle velocity and hitting power may be greatly increased. Added to this it has a streamline shape while in the air, which makes for accuracy, distance and increased power.

The slug 2 is preferably formed with a helix 20 terminating preferably in a fishtail 2l, and the helix is preferably arranged in such a direction that the rotational effect of the soft metal body I will bear generally at right angles against the flat surface of the helix. This will counteract any tendency for the slug and the surrounding lead to separate prior to impact, and the direction of the helix is such that upon impact of the projectile with its target, the soft metal body I, pushed by its inertia against the helical vanes of the slug 2, will tend to rotate it in the same direction as the projectile had been rotating before impact. In that Way it will bore through and out of the arrested soft metal ahead of and surrounding it which has been largely dissipated, or melted by the heat of the impact, and it will be driven by the softI metal behind it to facilitate its own rotation, originally set up by the bore of the barrel.

This rotational effect of the slug 2 may be given additional advantage by providing its nose 22 with cutting edges, or otherwise forming it in such a manner as to facilitate its entrance through armor or the like. It will tend to bore its Way through the armor.

To further assist in bonding the slug 2 to the surrounding soft metal I, and to prevent undue deformation of the soft metal upon compression f the flange I3, I prefer that the slug be formed with an outstanding flange 23 near its nose, which flange 23 terminates adjacent to the base of the flange I3, and this lends support to the ange I3 during constriction of the latter, preventing constriction or deformation of the nose.

In Figure 4 the nose is provided with a jacket 4, which may be of steel, but which if used is preferably 0f softer metal, as copper or a copper alloy; thus it will not offer too great resistance to passage of the slug 2, though it will prevent undue mushrooming of the lead. 'Ihe form of the slug has also been changed in this figure, the tail 2| being distinct from the helix 20, and the nose 23 of the slug being pointed. The preferred form, however, is as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3.

What I claim as my invention is:

l. A projectile comprising a body of soft metal having a circumferential groove intermediate its front and rear ends, and a flange outstanding from said body at the forward end of said groove, compressible thereinto by contact with the gun barrel, and aslug of hard metal embedded in said soft metal body, said slug having a strengthening flange outstanding therefrom and terminating adjacent to the base of the body flange, to resist deformation of the soft metal at the base of the body flange, upon compression of the flange into said groove.

2. A projectile comprising a body of soft metal having a circumferential groove intermediate its front and rear ends, and a. `iiange outstanding from said body at the forward end of said groove,

compressible thereinto by contact With the gun barrel, and a slug of hard metal embedded in said soft metal body, said slug having a tail incorporating a helix of high pitch and a cutting nose including an outstanding flange terminating adjacent to the base of the body flange, to resist deformation of the soft metal at the base of the body flange, upon compression of the ange into said groove.

3. A projectile comprising a body of soft metal, a hard metal slug embedded therein and having a rotary cutter element on its nose, formed to cut away material struck by the projectile by rotation in the direction the entire projectile rotates during its flight, and a helix of high pitch formed on the rear end of the slug and closely embraced by the soft metal, said helix being convoluted in a direction to continue the rotation of the slug in its cutting direction by pressure thereon of the embracing soft metal squashed by impact of the projectile, to prolong the cutting action of said cutter element.

4. A projectile body having a circumferential groove Substantially midway between its ends, a single flange of soft metal, of a volume to substantially ll such groove, outstanding from the body at the forward edge of the groove.

JOSEF E. HELBICH. 

